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VANCOUVER — The season of being fattened like a Christmas goose is over. It's time for most of us to put away the eggnog and start pounding the Slim-Fast.

For Paris Jackson of the B.C. Lions, though, adding necessary poundage in the off-season is vital to his career hopes. He trusts the extra weight will sustain him through another taxing Canadian Football League training camp.

"I'm a naturally lean guy," Jackson explained. "If I don't try to bulk up in the off-season, I'll leave camp too slim. I have to go into camp at 220 or 215 pounds to come out at 205. That's my best playing weight."

Jackson has restarted workouts to prepare for a 12th CFL season, knowing that camp is still five months away, aware that he wasn't protected by the Lions on the original list submitted for the Dec. 16 Ottawa Redblacks expansion draft and cognizant of his veteran status.

When GM Wally Buono returns from vacation in mid-January, he will sit down with his coaching staff and discuss who to leave in, and who to leave out, in the formation of the 2014 Lions.

Since the Lions' 2013 season ended almost two months ago, deletions mainly have involved the coaching staff. Offensive co-ordinator Jacques Chapdelaine and defensive co-ordinator Rich Stubler are gone (Stubler has joined the Calgary Stampeders) and quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson is moving on to a higher pay grade and expanded responsibility with the Edmonton Eskimos.

At 33, his role reduced to a complementary one, Paris Jackson is expectant about what the near future holds for himself and other well-seasoned Lions such as centre Angus Reid and nickelback Korey Banks.

In an interview last week with TSN, the 34-year-old Banks expressed his concern about the slow-moving pace of contract talks toward an extension. Jackson, too, dreams of an extension, though he is going into an option year and would be happy if the Lions simply allowed him to play it out.

"I know my worth, what I can offer a team," he said. "At the end of the day, I know that I can be useful for some team out there, a contributor on every down and a good leader in the locker-room, to teach the young guys how to be a pro. I'm the only Canadian in the league who can play all five receiver positions."

Jackson said he was surprised the Redblacks - who added just one non-import receiver in the expansion draft, Rory Kohlert of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers - didn't take a flyer on him. After 11 seasons in B.C., he had no qualms about moving on to Ottawa, if the Redblacks had targeted him.

"I was open-minded about the situation," he added. "If I did get picked up, I was willing to go and make a new chapter in my life and career."

Banks, a five-time CFL allstar, was also left exposed by the Lions, with the Redblacks instead choosing to take quarterback Thomas DeMarco from B.C.'s unprotected list. Banks was a league all-star in his first full CFL season, with the Ottawa Renegades, in 2005. The Lions claimed him a year later, after the Renegades folded after four seasons.

"If Korey Banks was available, I was shocked that Ottawa didn't pick him up," Jackson said. "He's a Hall of Fame player. He would have been the focal point of their defence, the face of the franchise.

"That's a major mistake on their part."

Lions head coach Mike Benevides said no decisions will be rendered in regards to Banks, Jackson, Reid or any other veteran Lions player until football operations return to normal next week, but recent changes in the coaching staff will result in two more hires.

With Mark Washington elevated from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator, the Lions will add another defensive assistant. As well, with Jarious Jackson moving on to Edmonton, another offensive assistant will be added to the staff, but not a quarterbacks coach. New OC Khari Jones, quarterbacks coach with the Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders, will take over that additional role vacated by Jarious Jackson.

"Edmonton is going about its business and I can't comment on when they'll make an announcement (on Jackson)," Benevides said. "They're in the process of looking at his position as a passing game coordinator. They called and asked for permission to speak with him and it's certainly a position he's interested in.

"If it's something that offers one of our coaches a chance for advancement, and he's interested in and excited about it, we'll certainly give him an opportunity to explore it."

Eskimos spokesman Allan Watt said an official announcement will be made when the team announces its coaching lineup at the end of January. That's the same time frame Benevides has laid out to complete the Lions coaching staff. Before then, Paris Jackson should know if his off-season workouts truly are pointed toward another training camp.

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